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One Nation-One Time
Context:
The central government plans to implement the “One Nation-One Time” policy, making Indian Standard Time (IST) mandatory, with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs seeking public feedback on the draft rules by 14 February 2025.
More on News:
- The Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2024 have been drafted to establish a legal framework for time standardisation.
- IST will be the sole time reference for all legal, administrative, commercial, and official purposes.
- The rules aim to ensure uniformity in time-keeping across commerce, transportation, public administration, legal contracts, and financial operations.
Key Provisions of the Draft Rules
- IST as the Sole Time Reference: IST will be the mandatory time reference across all sectors, including commerce, transportation, public administration, legal contracts, and financial operations.
- Prohibition of Other Time References: No other time references will be permitted for official or commercial purposes, except in areas like astronomy, navigation, and scientific research (with prior government approval).
- Collaboration for Accuracy: The Department of Consumer Affairs, along with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and ISRO, will develop a precise time-generation and dissemination system.
- Nanosecond Accuracy: This system will ensure nanosecond-level precision for strategic and non-strategic sectors.
India’s Single Time Zone and Its Basis:
- India follows a single time zone, determined by the longitude of 82°33′E.
- This longitude serves as the Indian Standard Time (IST), with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) functioning as the national timekeeper.
- IST is the only time zone observed across India. While the country’s geographical size allows for multiple time zones, historical, cultural, and practical considerations have led to the adoption of a unified standard.
Background of Indian Standard Time
- Establishment of Time Zones: During the British Raj, India used three major time zones—Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras Time.
- Introduction of IST: In 1906, IST was introduced to create a single, uniform time reference for the entire country.
- Purpose: The adoption of a single time zone simplified communication, public administration, and travel by eliminating discrepancies between local times.
- Post-Independence Continuation: After independence, India retained IST to maintain organisational consistency. IST also serves Sri Lanka and is set 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of UTC (UTC+5:30).
Benefits of Standardised Timekeeping
- Enhanced Economic Efficiency: A unified time standard will streamline operations across industries, facilitating smoother transactions and interactions.
- Improved National Security: Accurate synchronisation will enhance the reliability of critical infrastructure and support real-time applications essential for national defence and emergency response.
- Boosting Technological Integration: With standardised timekeeping, sectors such as telecommunications, digital governance, and scientific research will experience improved operational efficiency and technological advancement.
- Global Competitiveness: By optimising industrial operations through precise time management, India can enhance its competitiveness on a global scale.
Challenges of a Single Time Zone in India: India spans 3,000 kilometres from east to west, covering nearly 30 degrees of longitude, resulting in a two-hour difference in mean solar time between the eastern and western regions.
- Loss of Daylight in the Northeastern States: The Northeastern states experience earlier sunrises and sunsets, causing them to lose valuable daylight hours.
- Official working hours do not align with natural daylight, reducing productivity in the eastern region.
Circadian Rhythm
- The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that regulates various physiological processes, such as sleep, wakefulness, and eating.
- It is controlled by an internal body clock, which is influenced by environmental factors like sunlight and temperature, determining levels of alertness or fatigue.
- 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine was awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young for their research on the molecular mechanisms governing the circadian rhythm.
- Impact on Circadian Rhythms: Circadian rhythms, which regulate the body’s biological clock, are disrupted.
- As darkness falls earlier in the east, the body releases melatonin (the sleep hormone), leading to earlier fatigue.
- Appropriateness of IST: IST is well-suited for locations like Kanyakumari, Kavaratti, and Ghuar Mota.
- It is moderately appropriate for areas like Alipurduar, Kolkata, Gangtok, Mirzapur, and Gilgit.
- However, IST is highly unsuitable for regions like Dong and Port Blair due to their significantly earlier sunrises and sunsets.
- Increased Electricity Usage: People in the eastern states consume more electricity as they turn on lights earlier in the day.
- The issue becomes more pronounced in winter when shorter daylight hours demand additional energy use to sustain activities.
Alternatives:
- Permanent Time Shift: Advancing IST by 30 minutes (UTC+6) could address Northeast concerns without creating two zones.
- Daylight Saving Time (DST): Adjusting clocks seasonally to conserve energy and extend evening daylight hours.
India’s single time zone, while beneficial for national coordination, poses significant challenges for regions in the Far East, necessitating discussions on potential solutions like introducing a second-time zone.
